By Hana Medina

WHILE MANY OF US like to think we’re
going to be creative with our Valentine’s Day
gifts this year, let’s be honest: On February 13,
we’re going to rush out and purchase our
favorite standbys: wine and chocolate. And
why shouldn’t we? Everybody likes this duo;
they’re wildly delicious and indulgent, and
they usually lead to a good time (insert suggestive eyebrow raise here).

But what you might not know is how tofind wines and chocolates that complementeach other. “Wine and chocolate are tough,”affirms Shelly Fitzgerald, a Seattle-based som-melier and Costco member. “People alwaysthink they’re the perfect pairing. They can be,but … you have to keep in mind that they’retwo big, strong personalities that are compet-ing for the same palate space.”The general rule for wine and chocolatepairings (stressed by all interviewed somme-liers) is to ensure your wine is sweeter thanyour chocolate (or dessert). Natalie MacLean,an Ottawa-based sommelier and publisher ofthe wine review site
nataliemaclean.com,advises, “If it’s not, your wine will taste bitterin comparison.”The following are a few suggested pair-ings based on what’s available at Costco.

Dark chocolate

“Dark chocolate has the least sweetness,the most cacao solids in it and the least sugaras well. That is the easiest to pair with wine,”says MacLean, a Costco member. “You don’thave to look for a dessert wine when it comesto dark chocolate [although you can]. Youcould go with a very robust, higher-than-average-alcohol red wine, but still dry.”She suggested an Italian Amarone,Argentine Malbec and/or an AustralianShiraz. “Although all of these wines that I’mmentioning, big reds, are technically dry onthe sugar coat scale [dry is the least sweet],they will taste somewhat sweet [in compari-son with dark chocolate] because the fruit inthem is so ripe.”Ty Fulcher, a Costco member, sommelierand owner of the bar Social in Fort Collins,Colorado, says if big reds are preferred,Zinfandel or a Syrah could work too: “Go withsomething that’s more jammy and juicy andbig and fruity, and they oftentimes have littlechocolate characteristics to them.”

Milk chocolate

“I would not recommend any dry redwines, because the ones we just talked aboutwill taste bitter by comparison with milkchocolate,” says MacLean, who adds thatsince milk chocolate is sweeter, your wine willneed to be too.

For milk chocolate, MacLean says you
should seek flavors that would taste good in a
chocolate cake, such as fruits, nuts, caramel
and even orange. A safe match? “The one sort
of all-purpose milk chocolate dessert wine
that I love is a tawny port,” she says.

(See page 55 to read more about
port wines.)

She also recommends pairing vintage
port with fruitier versions of chocolate, and
Fulcher says ruby port could also work well.

Fitzgerald notes that port complements
chocolates that contain nuts, sea salt, fruits
and caramel. All of the sommeliers recommend matching the notes in your wines with
the elements in your chocolates.

Don’ts

Each sommelier warns against pairing
chocolate with cabernet sauvignon or mer-lot. Fulcher explains that chocolate (
especially dark) and these two wines are more
acidic and tannic than their respective counterparts. “A harsh and a harsh don’t equal
smooth and soft,” he says.

Fitzgerald adds that chardonnay can
make a bitter match for chocolate, and also
warns against dry (or brut) versions of
Champagne and rosé.

If there’s time, Fitzgerald recommends
doing some taste-testing before gifting a
pairing, to ensure a good match. But if that’s
not an option, Fulcher says, there’s no need
to stress about a perfect pair.

“Don’t let somebody tell you you’re doing
something wrong if you think it tastes good,”
he advises. “This is all individual. From our
job, we can give guidelines and our favorites,
but it’s all up to what you like.” C